Shrewsbury drug crackdown: Police tackling dealers in the town

Heroin and cocaine were seized after a third warrant was executed at a home in the Castlefields and Ditherington area of Shrewsbury.

PC Ingrid Tozer from West Mercia Police said it was "another a day another warrant" in an ongoing crack down on hard drug dealing, as officers broke the door down at a house in Crewe Street, Castlefields on Friday following information received from members of the public.

"A quantity of heroin and crack cocaine was recovered and a man in his 30s has been arrested and remains in custody. Our investigation continues," she said.

The action follows a raid at New Park Road, Castlefields, on July 20, where two arrests were made for possessing drugs with intent to supply and drug paraphernalia seized.

At the start of July three people were arrested after more than £1,000 in cash and drugs suspected to be heroin and cocaine were discovered following raids at three addresses in the Ditherington area.

PC Tozer said drugs and drug related crime had been an issue for a while in the area, and was linked to other forms of crime, particularly "acquisitive" crime, or theft.

She said: "Castlefields and Ditherington is my area and I am proactive.

"We are trying to do a bit of a crack down on drug dealing, because if we pro-actively go through the doors of people we know to be drug dealing we also protect vulnerable people – and have an impact on acquisitive crime and anti social behaviour linked to drugs.

"It's also having a really good impact on the neighbourhood. If you've got a drug dealer living next to you it can massively affect your life due to the foot fall coming through.

"I wouldn't want it on my doorstep," she said.

Alan Mosley, Shropshire councillor for Castlefields and Ditherington, and leader of Shrewsbury said: "I am aware of reports of drug-related activity in the area, as well as in other parts of Shrewsbury.

"I'm delighted that the police are on the case. It's important that the police discourage and remove these activities from our neighbourhoods.

"I pass on evidence of drug dealing to the police when I come across it and I encourage anyone else to do so too."

Anyone with information about drug dealing in their locality should call the police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.